Kyousougiga Episode 2 Anime Review

Waaataaah!!! *Farts red and blue clouds*

I had to watch this episode twice to get my story straight and enjoy all the beautiful backgrounds once more. I don’t usually do a detailed background of an episode, but this one definitely warrants it. The story jumped here and there with a fast pacing, which is part of its upbeat charm.

Hopefully, no close-ups of the baby deliveries.

So, we open with a shot of the family as it currently is. The boy/girl I wasn’t clear of, Kurama has changed appearance from a studious child into a floating priest. We find out later on in the show he’s a boy. (Ho ho.) Next to him is Yase, who looks a little taller. Next to her is Koto the black rabbit that the first Myoe drew up. Next is Koto the child that we learn more about in this episode and I think the main protagonist in our story. Next to her is her sensei, which I suspect is the original Myoe judging from the voice-acting. We have the new Myoe/Yakushimaru next to him, and then the family dog.

We’re then greeted by the OP, which is fucking awesome, might I add. It’s beautifully animated and matched to the song, and it’s a summary of the tone of the show with symbolism thrown in. Koto and Myoe chasing each other round and round in a circle.

We then open with protag Koto crashing into a building and debris flying. She’s in the Mirror Capital and so that’s no problem because they have auto-heal. We then jump to her Teacher reading Alice in Wonderland beside his fox mask and staff. We then jump again to the past where protag child Koto is sending him off, probably for the first time, since she cries. They’re at the Central Axis General Agency / Shrine, joining others to send people off to different planes. Yes, very much like an airport, though with teleportation to planes instead of flying in them. We hear the two of them talking and her teacher sounds very much like old Myoe with the same hairstyle and colour. Adults whisper about how protag Koto was taken in and question if she’s a spirit or human, mentioning her red eyes. So, Myoe tells her to toughen up and leaves for work.

We jump to Koto at school where she’s beating a kid up, who is the son of a noble. Her Teacher is there with her and tells her to watch her stance. They go to an office where they have to explain their actions. Koto explains why she hit the brat up and Teacher offers to take the place of their teacher, with a teasing grin on his fox mask.

Another jump to Koto at home in the morning where she greets a stuffed bunny that has been sewn together, black and pink. We’re shown their daily morning life. Teacher sleeps with his mask on, burns the food and then is rushed to work by Koto. Most of the clocks around them are broken, so he’s nearly late. Koto sends him off without crying now, since she’s grown up. Koto is met by one of the higher-ups we saw in the office and she goes for a check-up. Then, she has snacks with them and demonstrates her fighting powers. It’s then shown that Koto skips school a lot despite what the guy advises.

Koto goes home one day and is greeted by the noble son of Hachiman. She fights him with a book and wins even though he has a wooden sword. She goes home after and we’re let in on her secret.

Using a hidden key, Koto opens the door to a room. It has the picture of black rabbit Koto came out of, framed on the wall. There is a chair in the room which faces it, and behind the chair is the drawing of the Mirror Capital which the family escaped to in the earlier episode. She closes her eyes, and calls for her mother. When she opens them, she’s back in bed. Crying at being alone in such a big house, she follows black rabbit Koto back to the same room. Her teacher is sitting on the chair with his mask half-on, covering his eyes.

It falls off and we see Koto’s secret. Her Teacher cries underneath his mask. We then remember the side shot of him at the airport where Koto first sent him off, where the design on the mask looks like there’s a tear coming out. We never saw his expression when Koto sent him off because of the mask. The black rabbit jumps onto his lap and he calls out for Koto. The black rabbit disappears and Koto understands her Teacher’s pain. This is probably the night when protag Koto suddenly toughened up, like the noble boy said. We then jump to the scene when Koto previously closed her eyes whilst sitting in the chair. She opens them and sees the black rabbit. She goes to greet her Teacher who says he just got back. She takes off his mask to check if he’s been crying. He’s confused. So was that a dream? Probably not. Instead of only her having a secret, the two of them have one now.

We jump to Father/Teacher and daughter sitting under a tree. He recites from Through the Looking Glass:

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,

Alice moving under skies

Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,

Eager eye and and willing ear,

Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,

Dreaming as the days go by.

And then I nearly died at the adorable scene. It’s here that protag Koto tells her dad about going to meet her mum, Koto.

We jump next, back to new Myoe who meets up with his siblings, and they talk about protag Koto invading their world. He’s assigned to taking care of her. Against a background of their mother, they talk about protag Koto and wonder if they’re the same person. They then swear on their mother and their own names.

the psychedelic way.

Here’s my theory on what happened. Like what I guessed in the first episode review, original Myoe and Koto went to return her body and suffer the consequences. What happened was Myoe did lose some part of himself, probably to pay as a price. He can no longer create pictures that can come to life or that act as dimension portals. He also cannot see Koto anymore, which is why he longs for her until he cries under his mask. He now works for the Agency which is the only way he can travel through planes and hopefully find Koto one day. He is also most likely banned from going back to the Mirror Capital. Koto’s probably been separated into another dimension from him. It wasn’t enough that she returned the body, since she made use of it over the agreed on term.

As the daughter and father go about their day, we see the absence of Koto quite clearly. Burnt toast and then rushing off for work, stopped clocks and no one to wash pots and pans at breakfast like in usual anime scenes. She haunts them as the poem says. There is such a tangible longing in the whole episode. Placed against gorgeous scenery and background, there is a melancholic air despite how colourful everything is. The sound that melds into silence when Koto explores the big house is wonderful.

You know, it makes me wonder… Was the big house chosen because Koto’s Teacher/ Myoe hopes that one day it’ll be filled with his whole family again?

I’m guessing that protag Koto might be some part of her mother that was left behind in the debt when they paid back, since she shares her eyes and name, and it wasn’t sure if she was a spirit or human.

I’m really happy about this anime, since it fills the void that Uchoten Kazoku left behind after its end.